To Be Free
by egg671
Summary: Bella is 16, and Renee has just left her and Charlie, tired of the abuse. Now Bella is left to deal with her alcoholic father, but luckily the Cullens move to Forks at the same time. The Cullens are all vampires, Bella also still human. Read and review please! :
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight...isn't that pretty obvious…?**

**Gosh, I haven't been on here forever…Okay. So this is a new story of mine! Edward is actually the one who has moved to Forks-Bella has lived there her whole life :) I hope you enjoy it!**

**Prologue**

**BPOV**

The rain is pattering softly against my window. The wind is signing gently. I am humming to myself quietly. But inside my head, I am screaming. My mother has left. She's left me with my _father_. Charlie. My abusive, horrid, awful, _awful _father.

"Don't cry, don't cry," I murmur to myself. "It's okay…." But I cry anyways, falling asleep on a tear-soaked pillowcase.

**Chapter 1**

**BPOV**

Another day at Forks High School. Great. _Just great._ I slump down in my chair. It's sixth period. Biology. _Just two periods left and I can go home…_

Someone slides into the seat next to mine. I look up, startled, my eyes prolly wide and scared-looking. It's a new guy, around a year older than me, with mussed copper hair and golden eyes. _Golden?_ He turns to look at me, a small smile on his lips. As soon as he opens his mouth to say something, his smile drops into a frown, and his kind golden eyes turn into cold black glaring ones. I look away, holding back tears.

The lesson begins. I stare out at the parking lot and all the cars. Red car. Another Red. White. Blue. Red. Silver. Gold. Black. White. Red. Yellow. White. Green. Black. Black. Redredwhitegoldblueyellowgre enwhiteblackblackblack. They all blur together into a mass of colors.

"Hello," a soft, musical voice says.

I turn sharply, The new guy is staring at me intently, golden eyes warm and sparkling, a bright smile on his flawless face. "Hi." My voice cracks. _Wonderful._

He doesn't take notice. "I'm Edward Cullen. I'm sorry for my rudeness at the beginning of class. I was just distracted." He smiles, showing off perfect white teeth.

"Oh. Um…I'm Bella."

"Nice to meet you, Bella."

I blush deep crimson. My heart warms. "N-nice to meet you, t-too," I stutter, blushing more, utterly embarrassed.

Edward laughs softly under his breath, nearly too quiet for me to hear.

I swing my hair around to hide my bright red face and start doodling on an empty page in my notebook. Less than a minute later the bell as rung, and everyone is scrambling to get out of the door.

Except Edward. "What class do you have next?" he inquires.

"Gym," I grumble.

He laughs. "Sounds fun."

"What do you have?" I question, slipping my notebook into my bag, and zipping it shut.

"Study hall," he grins. "Is it okay if I walk you to class?" he offers before I have a chance to reply.

"Sure," I nod, smiling.

I'm at home, cooking supper for Charlie. My music is blaring into my ears—an attempt to drown out my mind. I'm cooking penne pasta with marinara sauce, and green beans on the side. Charlie will be home in one minute. I grab the plates and forks and set them on the beat-up table, along with a beer for Charlie and a water for me. Seeing his police cruiser pull up, I yank out my ear buds, shove them into my pocket where my iPod is, and start serving up the food.

Charlie comes stumbling in, already drunk. "Get the hell out of my house!" he shouts the moment he sees me. I stand there in shock. The times he has done this, my mother Renee has been there to protect me. Charlie reaches out, striking me. "GET OUT!" he roars. The abruptness causes me to drop the pan, boiling sauce burning my skin.

I fly out the door.

**Okaaay so usually the chapters will be at least twice this long, but I just wanted to get it started. So tell me what you think please and I'll be updating every one to three days :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all the people who reviewed and followed/added me to their favorite list! Sorry this is a bit late, but our computer was messed up. So here it is, I hope you all enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Twilight.**

Chapter 2 

**BPOV**

I run, heading in no particular direction—except for just away, _far far away_, from Charlie. It takes me awhile to realize I'm sobbing. _Why couldn't Mom have stayed? Then I wouldn't have to be the one being hit… _I cry harder at this thought, immediately guilty._ No. Why didn't she take me white her? _ I correct_. _Yet my tears don't stop. Minutes later I collapse on a curb, gasping, with my nose runny and my tears unceasing. I cover my face with my hands. Hours later, I'm still sitting in the same position, and still crying.

"Hello?" a feather-light voice says.

My head snaps up and I frantically try to wipe away my tears.

"Are you okay?" the girl asks. She steps in front of me. She's one of the new girls. Edward's sister. She has short, spiky dark hair and gentle gold eyes.

"Yeah," I say, trying to keep my voice strong, even though I'm sure she saw me crying. "I'm fine." I look up at the sky; dark with small stars dotting it, sparkling back down at me. "It's really beautiful out tonight."

The girl ignores my last comment. "It's getting late. You should get home."

I shrug.

The girl sighs, and takes a seat on the curb next to me. "My name's Alice. Alice Cullen."

"Bella Swan," I croak. _Go away so I can keep crying now…_

Alice's face brightens. "Oh! Hello, Bella! Edward—he's my brother—was talking tons about you!"

I blush.

"So. What're you doing out at this time of night, Bella?" she enquires.

"Running. I felt like going for a run."

"You were crying," Alice points out.

"Yeah…" I trail off.

"Why?"

"My mother just left. It's been kinda hard." That's not a lie, not in the least bit.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Before I can protest, she's hugging me in a death grip.

"Um," I squeak.

"Yes?" she asks, still squeezing me to death.

"Too tight."

She releases me and puts her hands in her lap, twirling a silver band around her finger. "Would you like me to take you home?"

"No, thanks. I think I'm just gonna sit here for awhile." _Or forever…_

"At least come over to my house so you're not out in the cold."

"It's fine. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"I insist."

"Really, I'm okay."

"C'mon," she persists. "For just a bit?"

"I just wanna sit alone for awhile…" _And I don't want to meet your whole family!_

"If you don't want to come over because of Edward and the rest of my family, let's go for coffee in Portland," she offers.

_Mind-reader…_ "Portland?"

Alice nods.

I hesitate.

"It'll be good for you," she says. "Talk about it. Or, in the least, just talk and get out for awhile."

"Okay…. I guess…." I finally agree.

"Yay! Good!" she squeals.

Cool. So now I'm going out with someone I hardly know late at night. To get coffee.

**APOV**

Bella sits across from me, brown hair falling around her small shoulders, and chocolate-colored eyes staring at the coffee up in her hands. I'm of course drinking nothing, considering the fact I'm a vampire and all.

"Feeling any better?" I ask lightly.

Bella nods absent-mindedly.

"Do you want to stay over tonight?"

She shakes her head. "No, thanks."

"Sure?"

She nods.

"I suppose I could just take you home then. It's midnight. Your dad's probably worried."

I hear her heart accelerate, and her eyes flicker up to meet mind, briefly. "Maybe stay here a bit longer?"

"What's wrong with home?"

"Charlie, my dad, he drinks a lot. I don't like to be around him…" Her cheeks fill with color.

"I'm sorry, Bella… When do you think he'll be asleep?"

"I don't know," she whispers.

I look around the café. The only person here other than Bella and I is the manger, who happens to be a vampire. I mean, who else would keep a café open around the clock? "We can always sit outside until the lights go off," I suggest.

"Sometimes he passes out," she sighs. She pauses, looking up at me. "Oh! Alice, I'm so sorry! I'm being so rude, keeping you out! It's so late!" she exclaims. "I'm so sorry!"

I laugh. "It's fine, Bella. I like staying up late. My bedtime's at three. So no worries." I smile reassuringly at her.

"What about your parents?"

"They're cool with me being out and about."

Bella just nods, takes a large gulp of her coffee, stands, tosses the empty cup in the trash, and turns back to me. "I'm ready now."

"Okay," I sigh.

We head out to my car and I drive us home, both of us silent.

"So where do you live?" I finally ask, breaking the silence.

"7247 Hillfield Ct.," she recites.

Pulling up, I note the darkness of the house. Charlie has definitely gone to bed.

"Thank you so much, Alice. Really," Bella says, staring at me with tears in her eyes.

"Anytime, Bella. Anytime!" I smile broadly, and she exits the car, walking slowly to her house. I wait for her to get in safely, and then drive off.

"Bella seems amazing, Eddie!" I call as I enter the house.

Edward is by my side in a flash, and with no doubt listening in on my thoughts about the night Bella and I have had.

"Coffee?" he raises an eyebrow at me questioningly.

"Vampire runs the place. But that's beside the point!"

"What's the point?"

"You have a lovely mate!" I announce, showing him my vision.

**Review please :) It makes my day :) **

**Next update should be Saturday! I would try for tomorrow but I have homecoming so I'm not sure :)**

**(Oh and if you didn't noticed I've changed my username :))**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for again for the reviews and follows and favorites! You guys are awesome!(:  
**

**Now, on with the chapter!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

**Chapter 3**

**BPOV**  
When I wake up, I stay completely still. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The clock says it's 12:31. Fifth period. Four minutes until lunch. I don't really care, though. Maybe I should just let Charlie beat me black and blue and then lay here and die and rot.  
_No. Don't think like that._  
I toss the covers off me and swing my feet to the floor. I curl my toes into the carpet and reach over to turn on my lap. Then comes getting dressed (in a black tee and jeans), covering the small bruise on my face with some makeup, and eating a granola bar and some fruit.  
When I finally get to school, the bell has just rung, ending lunch. I'm walking to Biology when Edward appears beside me. "Where have you been?" he questions.  
"Home. Slept late," I reply.  
"Long night?" The way he asks this I know Alice told him everything.  
"Yeah," I say shortly.  
"Alice said you and her went for coffee in Portland. She told me you seem really nice." He smiles.  
"Is that all she said?"  
"Yes. Why?"  
I give a small sigh of relief. "No reason. So how are you today?"  
"Good. How are you?"  
"Good."  
Edward holds the door open for me and I walk into Biology. I take my seat and pull out my copy of _Wuthering Heights_. I don't want to talk today. I just wanna be left alone.

**EPOV**

I watch Bella as she stares at the same spot of the page in her book. It's clear she's not even trying to read. It's driving me mad that I can't read her mind. She's the person who I'd most like to know the thoughts of, and yet I can't.  
_Such a creep_, Mike Newton thinks as he passes by Bella and I. _He's just sitting there staring at her!_  
I look at him a minute later, once he's seated. He, too, is just simply staring at her. And his thoughts aren't the least bit appropriate.  
The bell rings and Bella nearly jumps out of her skin. She looks around, eyes wide, heart beating frantically. After a moment, she calms a bit, and shuts her book and places it in her backpack.  
I wonder what she was thinking about. I remember Alice talking about how her mom just left, and how her dad drinks. She said that was the reason Bella was outside so late—she didn't want to be around her dad. But why was she so intent on making sure he was asleep? Does he say stuff to her, or...? I see a bruise on the side of her face, small, but still there. It looks new, too.  
I pull a sheet of paper from my notebook, and write:  
_Alice had mentioned that you're mother left and your dad drinks a lot. I'm sorry. Are you feeling any better today?_

**Leave me alone.**

I stare at her reply. Why wouldn't she just answer? Even if it was a simple _yes, I'm doing better._

I decide not to push the issue. Whatever it is, I can ask about later. Sighing quietly, I turn to the front of the room and listen to Mr. Banner drone on about chromosomes.

**BPOV**

No one can find out about Charlie. _No one_. I'll get taken out of my home, my home where I've lived for my whole life, and stick me with some other family or group home that could be much much worse. So no one can find out. It just can't happen. It can't it can't it can't it can't.  
I close my eyes and just try to breathe.

* * *

The bell ringing is what wakes me up. I lift my head up from my arm slowly, looking groggily around the classroom. Everyone's nearly out the door. I shove my stuff into my bag and head out.

_I'm done with school today. I'll just go home now…_

No one stops me from walking right out the front door, climbing into my truck, and driving home. When I get inside, I realize I made a mistake. A rather large mistake, too. I guess I had failed to notice that Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway. And so now he's standing in front of me, tequila bottle in hand.  
"What're you doing home?" he slurs.  
"I felt sick," I lie, my knees shaking.  
"Well guess what?"  
"What…?" I ask hesitantly.  
"I just got fired. Was told I've got a drinkin problem." He tips the tequila bottle back and gulps down the rest like it's water. And then it comes crashing down on my head.

**Sorry it's so short! I'm in class! Longer chapter coming up tomorrow! :) Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I'm late! I was planning to put this up yesterday but I was gone until late at night. So here it is! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

Chapter 4

**BPOV**

I cry out in pain as the glass shatters on my head and scatters around me. I put my hand to my head and feel the blood pulse out against my palm.

"It's your fault!" he shouts, smacking me across the face. I watch silently as he stumbles into the wall and shoots daggers at me. "It's your fault she's gone," he slurs, more quietly.

I don't say anything.

"Get out, now," he orders. And then passes out.

I stand there, tears running down my face, and my head hurting tons. After a few minutes have passed, I go upstairs to my room, slowly, and begin packing a small bag with a few changes of clothes, and the money I'd found in Charlie's room a few months ago. And I don't feel the least bit guilty stealing it. I glance at Charlie once before leaving. He's lying on the floor against the wall, face down. I can't believe what's happened in the past week….

Climbing into my truck, I take out my phone, and dial my mom's number.

"Hello?" she trills.

"Hi, Mom," I whisper.

"Isabella?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

"Charlie…" _What else would be wrong, Mom? _

"Oh, dear. Did he hit you? I swear, if he laid a hand on you!"

"Of course he hit me, Mom! You left! He's drunk all the time! _Of course _he hit me! He got fired because everyone at the station knows he has a drinking problem, and now my head is bleeding because he shattered a tequila bottle on my head!" I shout into the phone.

She's dead silent.

"Where are you, anyways?" I ask, softer.

"Seattle. Go to the hospital. I'll meet you there," she tells me.

"I don't need to go to the hospital. I need a place to stay."

"You're head needs to be checked. Go."

I sigh. "Okay, fine."

"Good. I'll be there soon."

"How soon?" I question quietly.

"Four or so hours, honey."

"Okay. I'll see you then." I end the call and toss my phone into the cup holder.

The drive to the hospital is short, but I stay sitting in my car for a good hour, my head still bleeding, because I have absolutely no desire to go in. Eventually, I climb out of my truck and head on in.

I'm taken back to a room fairly quickly, and soon a doctor is there, touching my head and talking to me. My eyes are closed, and I just want to sleep.

"Can I ask for your name, please?" I hear the doctor ask.

"Isabella Swan," I mumble.

"Can you open your eyes for me?" he asks gently.

_No. _I open them slowly. The doctor is sitting a foot away from me. His hair is pale blonde, and his eyes gold. He _must _be related to Edward and Alice. At this realization, I flush red.

"Thank you, Isabella." He smiles.

I nod. "Just Bella's fine."

"Okay, Bella. So what happened to your head?"

I tell him the same thing I told the lady when I first got into the emergency room. "I fell down and hit my head against the corner of a counter in the kitchen."

He nods. "I think you're going to need some stitches, okay?"

_Oh no…_ I just nod.

"Do you have a parent we could get here?"

"My mother Renee will be here soon. She was in Seattle," I say.

"Okay. Well, I will be right back. You can just lay back and rest for now."

I watch as he turns and exits the room, closing the door most of the way. And then I lie back in bed and stare up at the ceiling. _Just make this day over soon, please…. Or just make everything over with soon…that'd be fine with me…_

"Okay, Bella. I'm going to have to give you a shot first, and then you'll need six stitches. And I'm Dr. Cullen by the way."

_ Yep, I was right. Edward and Alice' father. Great._

I just nod at him, though I'm absolutely terrified of needles. I don't want to do this. I want to hide under the bed, or run out back into my car.

Dr. Cullen sits on a short stool next to my bed. "The shot will hurt, but after that's over, there will be no pain."

I can do nothing but nod.

He smiles sympathetically at me. "You can close your eyes if you think that would help. Or maybe you could look away?" he suggests.

Closing my eyes, I focus on my breathing, and happy things. Lilacs. Sun on my face. Rain drops on rose petals. Big white fluffy clouds against the bright blue sky. _Ignore the pain, just ignore it_, I order myself. _Just keep thinking about happy things…_ My mom singing. Family dinners, before Charlie started drinking. Barbeques. Playing soccer with Charlie when I was little. Riding in the small red wagon, Charlie pulling me along. Painting with my mom. The smell of the French toast my mom made on Sunday mornings.

"The shot is over. Now I'm just going to stitch up the cut." His voice is gentle.

_Just keep thinking happy things…don't think about the needles…_ Apple pie. Homemade ice cream. Swimming on 100 degree days. Sledding in fresh snow. Raking leaves with my family. Birthdays. My mom's smile. My mom's face, always happy and bright before Charlie started drinking.

"I'm done, Bella." I open my eyes. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

I shake my head. "Guess not."

He chuckles.

"Can I go now?"

"I'm sorry, but you'll need to wait for a parent to come."

"But my mom won't be here for another couple of hours…"

"Could your dad come?"

I shake my head roughly. "He's busy."

"You'll have to just wait here then. You can sleep if you'd like."

While sighing internally, I nod. I close my eyes after Dr. Cullen has left, and drift into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

I wake up to find my mom sitting next to me. "You're finally awake," she says.

"Yeah," is my brilliant reply.

"You told everyone you fell. Did you lie? Just to get me to come back?" She's nearly growling at me.

"No, Mom. Charlie did hurt me, I just didn't want to tell them because then he'd get into trouble," I whisper.

"You're awful. I finally got away from him and you want me to come right back?!"

"You're not making any sense, Mom! He hit you, too! What makes you think he wouldn't hit me?!"

"You're his little princess, of course he wouldn't," she hisses.

"Mom—"

"I can't believe I fell for this," she spits. "Goodbye, Isabella."

I wait for her to be completely gone before letting the tears run free. I can't believe what just happened.

**Okay, so next chapter will have Edward in it. I'm not sure whose point of view to write it in, though, so please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading :)**


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